Valve for controlling pressure and rate of supply of fluids



VALVE FOR CONTROLLING PRESSURE AND RATE OF SUPPLY OF FLUIDS- M. T. PHRLLIPPS Filed Aug. 23, 1954 U1) 'um I m) WVENTOR G Vialmflm Tarlfon Phluipps wibv w ggg Patented Oct. 4, 1938 PATENT OFFICE VALVE FOR CONTROLLING PRESSURE AND RATE OF SUPPLY OF FLUIDS Malcolm Tarlton Phillipps, Henley Beach,

Australia Application August 23, 1934, Serial No. 741,069 In Australia September 1, 1933 8 Claims.

My invention relates to a valve for controlling pressure and rate of supply of fluids, and is more particularly applicable to water services, the object of the invention being to provide means whereby the water in water mains can be regulated and controlled to suit the requirements of any predetermined service.

There are, however, various analogous uses to which my valve may be put, but the primary utility of the valve in which the present invention consists is in connection with water supply systems in which it is required to control automatically the pressure under which water is to to be held in a branch or reticulation system, or in which it is required to control automatically the rate of flow of Water from a main into a branch or reticulation system in order to maintain a required service. The invention is, however, applicable generally for controlling either pressure or flow in liquid, gas or air supply services.

The valve in which the present invention consists is designed for automatic operation obediently to pressure or draft requirements in a branch or reticulation system which is connected through it to a main supply; but provision is made for auxiliary operating means to enable the valve to be controlled positively by manual action; the auxiliary operating means may be associated directly with the valve for local operation, or they maybe fitted intermediate of the valve and a remote control arrangement.

The apparatus in which the invention consists contains a main control valve hereinafter referred to as the main valve, and is of the poppet type preferably having a mitre face and guide, and a cylindrical chamber in the casing.

This valve co-acts with a mitre seat in the rim of a passageway through a septum in the casing which intervenes. bet-ween the inlet passage or passages from the supply main and the outlet passage to delivery. The valve face is formed as a flange towards the lower part of the cylindrical guide body, and the cylindrical guide body is subject to liquid mains pressure at both its ends which are equal in area, and also on the valve seating face and on the similar formation which is directly above it, both of which surfaces are formed on a skirt enlargementof the valve guide body.

The skirt of the valve guide body which protrudes below the enlargement is provided with perforations preferably in the shape of Gothic arches which are formed through the lower part of the skirt commencing at a position a little above the lower rim of such skirt and extending upwards, the apex of each arch terminating in a position slightly below the lower edge of the mitre face formed on the enlargement of the skirt.

Compensation is provided by so fitting the valve to its seat that very slight film of liquid is present between the valve and the seat. This film, however, small, is still sufiicient to put pressure on the underside of the valve face to counter-balance the pressure in the delivery side of the valve which acts downwardly, tending to hold the valve to the seat.

The valve guide being thus balanced does not tend to move in the casing, whether it be on its seat or' oiT its seat, but it is movable in the cylinder to close or open by a stem rod or by a rocking finger which is actuated by a control member, and its movement obediently to such control is retarded only by the friction of the guide and its means for sealing in the cylinder.

When the main valve is closed on its seat, the topside oi the flange surrounding the guide is subject to the pressure existing in the delivery side of the casing; provision is therefore necessary to counter-balance this pressure, which in the absence of compensation would operate to hold the valve closed on its seat and resist the action of the operating member when said member is actuated to lift the valve.

Bucket washers are used to prevent leakage about the stem, however, compression rings may be substituted in place of the bucket washers, this variation being especially advantageous when dealing with steam.

The control member which is exterior to the valve casing, though it might be fitted as an integral part ofthe valve casing, is a counter- Weighted piston or a plunger working in a cylinder and connected to a rod or finger within the valve casing, or may be mounted on an extension of the valve spindle. The piston or plunger is subject to the pressure existing in the delivery circuit. When the delivery pressure is below a predetermined point the counterweight operates to open the valve to admit fluid at mains pressure to the delivery circuit. When the pressure in the delivery circuit exceeds the predetermined pressure the piston or plunger is moved againstthe counterweight resistance and this movement is transmitted to the valve by a lever to close it more or less until flow is so throttled that the delivery pressure remains at the predetermined point.

The piston or plunger in the control device is or may be governed by a float operated valve in the case in which the amount of delivery and not the pressure in the delivery system is required to be controlled, as for instance, when the contents of a reservoir in the delivery system are required to be maintained at a certain level.

In the case in which a manually operable control is required in respect of delivery pressure or delivery rate, whether or not the automatic arrangement is used, a master two-way valve may be fitted to introduce fluid from a high pressure supply to the underside of the piston or plunger in the control cylinder to move it in opposition to a counterweight; or a manual control member is fitted to the rod or finger through which control movement is applied to the main valve. For remote control a pipe line is carried from a source of high pressure to a master valve which may be either a two-way valve or a three-way valve. By manually operating this master valve, fluid under pressure is introduced into the control cylinder, through connecting pipes, to move the piston or plunger in opposition to the counterbalance, or the control cylinder may be used without the counter-balance, by passing the fluid into the control cylinder either at the bottom or top to operate the piston in such cylinder directly in the manner usually applied to hydraulic rams. The counter-balance may be a weight, or it may be a spring which'is fitted with a tension adjusting device.

The master valve which controls the main valve may have incorporated with it a non-return valve and by-pass arrangement preferably adjustable, for permitting a governed flow of liquid past the non-return valve, such master valve being mounted in any convenient position.

This master valve may have three or more openings, one of which is connected direct to the high pressure main, or in the case of reservoirs, to the reservoir itself, the second to the low pressure main, this opening entering the control valve through the non-return valve and by-pass, and a third to an hydraulic ram of the usual construction, the rate of flow in the connecting pipes being rendered adjustable by means of needle valves when required. The ram may be attached to the water main itself or mounted upon a suitable base.

In the accompanying explanatory drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the main valve and portion of hydraulic ram.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 with portion of a subsidiary reservoir or tank shown diagrammatically on smaller scale,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of portion of ram and weight platform.

Fig. 4 is a section of alternative construction of main valve illustrating an alternative construction of passage for the introduction of water above and below the guide plunger.

Fig. 5 is a modification of the valve operating mechanism.

In each of the illustrations similar numerals of reference are used to denote similar or corresponding parts wherever they occur. Corresponding parts of Figure 1 found in Figure 4' are designated by the same reference numerals with the subscript (1. added.

In the drawing I is the valve casing, 2 the high pressure main supply passage, 3 the low pressure delivery passage, and 4 the septum therein. a a

The valve seat 5 is formed in the septum 4; 6

is a cylindrical guide having an upper part which is slidable freely in the cylindrical guide ring I which is fitted in the upperportion of the casing l, and a lower part which is likewise slidable freely through the seat 5 and is provided with perforations 6a near the lower end which form passageways for liquid passing from the inlet to delivery of the main valve. The valve casing is closed with a covering cap 8.

A packing 9 or other suitable means for enabling the piston to work without leaking in the cylinder is fitted on the head of the guide 6 with a ring plate 10 covering it. The holes H (Fig. l) are apertures through the top of the guide 6, to admit mains pressure to the chamber l2 above the guide. The area of the top side of the guide is the same as the area of the under part of it which is exposed to mains pressure.

The main valve has an annular ring or collar I3 formed on the skirt portion of the guide; its bottom face is mitred to match the valve seat 5 but the fit is sufficiently imperfect to allow a water film to remain between the valve face and the seat. The provision is necessary to compensate for downward pressure exerted by fluid in the delivery system on the top side of the ring or collar i3 which would otherwise operate to influence the main valve towards the seat and assist or retard flow of fluid from the fluid main to the delivery system.

Instead of providing apertures as indicated at H through the guide 6 to admit fluid under mains pressure to the chamber l2 above it from the high pressure chamber l4 below it, a by-pass pipe exterior to the guide may be fitted to any suitably placed opening l5 on the high pressure side of the valve and communicating with the valve chamber 12 above the valve to serve the same purpose, or a passageway Ma may be formed in the main casting, as in Fig. 4, which extends above the valve guide 6 in a similar manner tothe passageway 14 below it.

The valve is thus not appreciably influenced to move in the casing by fluid under pressure in any part of the casing, as all pressures are counterbalanced.

The valve is moved towards or away from its seat, by a stem rod [5 to which motion is applied by a device exterior to the casing I. This rod is secured to the adjacent open end of the cylinder and works through stufilng boxes I! and 18 in the top and bottom of the casing I, and its top end is connected by a pin [9 to a lever 20 which is fulcrumed at 2| on a stud bracket 22 fixed to the casing. As the rod 16 extends through both ends of the casing the equalization of pressure on the top and bottom of the guide is not disturbed. A counterweight 23, or alternatively a loading spring, is placed on a flange 23a above the ram spindle. This counterweight may be centered on a vertical square sectioned pillar 23d. Guide rods are illustrated at 23b against which guide rollers 23c serve as a guide for the weight carrying flange or platform 23a.

The counterweight 23 or a spring depresses the end of the lever 20, causing it to raise the stem rod 16 and thereby to lift the valve from its seat to allow fluid to pass from the main supply to the delivery. The lever 20 is moved reversely to close the valve by a hydraulic device which operates obediently to fluid pressure in the delivery system. This device comprises a cylinder 24 fitted with a piston or plunger 25, the rod 26 of which is connected to the lever by a link or by a pin and slot arrangement 21. From the closed bottom end of the cylinder 24 a pipe 23 is' connected through the master valve to the delivery circuit.

When the pressure in the delivery circuit rises to a point at which the piston'or plunger 25 overpowers the counterweight 23, the end of the lever 20 accommodated in the pin and slot arrangement 2? is elevated and the main valve is brought back to its seat, and the flow of fluid through such valve is arrested. The valve .is thus controlled automatically so that it is moved positively towards the open position immediately the pressure in the delivery circuit falls below a predetermined point, and is moved towards the closed position positively immediately the pressure in the delivery circuit comes above thatpoint.

In the case in which it is desired to employ the valve to control the amount of flow of liquid, irrespective of difference between mains pressure, and delivery circuit pressure, the master valve 29 which is a two-way valve, is set in the shutoiT position which allows the high pressurewater from the passageway Id of the main valve to pass through the connecting pipe 30, the master valve 29, the connecting pipe 28 and thence to the ram 24 so forcing the ram upwards, and thereby shutting off the main valve.

Afloat operated valve 3! is fitted in a subsidiary reservoir or a chamber or tank and is connected by a pipe 32 to the pipe 30.

When the liquid in the chamber has risen to the predetermined level the float closes the valve 3i. This stops the outflow of the high pressure water which was flowing through the branch pipe 32 instead of passing from the high pressure main through the master valve to the ram.

By blocking the outflow, the high pressure water is enabled to exert its effort on the ram which, in conjunction with the lever, automatically closes the main valve, but when the liquid falls below the predetermined level, the float operated valve opens, thereby relieving the pressure on the ram, whereupon the counterweight depresses the ram and actuates the lever 20 reversely to bring the main valve to the open position.

The master two-way valve 29 is of usual cohstruction which may be made integral with the main valve, but for convenience of manufacture and installation is made separately and connected to the main valve by pipes.

It is furnished with three ports or openings, namely 29a which is connected to the high pressure passageway l4 through the connecting pipe 38; 2% which is connected to the ram 24 by the connecting pipe 28, and 290 (the position of which is indicated in Fig. 1 by a coupling nut, and in Fig. 2 by an arrow) which is connected to the outlet of the non-return valve 29d.

When the pressure in the delivery circuit is required to be held within close limits, it is desirable to minimize frictional load on the operating parts of the main valve, so that it will be movable with minimum resistance. With this object, the stem rod operating device is omitted, because frictional load is imposed on its movements by the pressure on it of the packing or U-leather in the stuffing boxes I! and I8. In its place there is fitted a. valve actuating device, the movement of which is less subject to frictional resistance.

Such a device may consist of a finger (Fig. 5) on a rocking spindle 33 which carries the lever 26a; the finger engages the valve guide 6 (see Fig. 1) and when the lever 20a is tilted it moves the guide to close or open the main valve. As the rocking shaft has only a limited degree of rotational movement in its stuffing box 34 the actu- .ation of the cylindrical guide 6 by the external control is facilitated.

Although I have described an hydraulic valve, a cistern, and other parts, the invention itself lies in the construction of the main valve'which brings about the ease of control owing to the perfect hydraulic balance of its several parts in any of their operating positions.

Having now fully described and ascertained my said invention and the manner in which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-

1. In a valvular mechanism the combination of a casing provided with a septum dividing the interior of the same into an inlet passage and a discharge passage, said septum provided with an opening therethrough for placing the passages in fluid communication and said casing provided with a guide ring in axial alignment with said opening, a valve seat outlining said opening, a valve including a hollow, open ended cylindrical guide having one end slidably guided for axial movement in said opening and having its other end slidably guided in the guide ring, said valve provided intermediate its ends with a collar fashioned to engage the valve seat and thus form a single valve of the poppet type and said cylindrical guide provided in its cylindrical wall and between the first mentioned guided end and said collar with a plurality of perforations for placing the interior of the guide in fluid communication with the discharge passage and passageways for exposing opposite ends of the guide to the pressure condition in the inlet passage, the 5 opposite ends of said valvular construction prestruction slidably mounted for axial movement in the casing and provided with a collar having one face mitered to match said frusto-conical face and with a fit sufiiciently imperfect to permit a liquid film to remain between the collar and valve seat face when the collar is in its valve closing position, means leading to opposite ends of the valvular construction to expose the same directly'to the pressure condition in the inlet passage the opposite ends of said valvular construction presenting the same formation and area to the fluid and control means for moving the valvular construction to and from its posii'ion closing the opening in the septum.

3. In a valvular mechanism, the combination of a casing provided at one side with a high pressure passage and at the opposite side with a low pressure passage, means Within the casing forming a low pressure chamber opening into the low pressure passage and into an upper and a lower chamber on opposite sides of the low pressure chamber, said upper and lower chambers forming branches from the high pressure passage, a valve opening placing one of the high pressure branch chambers in communication with the low pressure chamber, an annular valve seat outlining said opening, an open ended valve slidably mounted for movement to and from said seat, one end of the valve being open to receive pressure from the upper chamber and the other end open to receive pressure from the lower chamber, and said valve provided in its cylindrical wall with a plurality of perforations for placing its interior in fluid communication with the low pressure chamber, the opposite ends of said valvular construction presenting the same formation and area to the fluid.

4. In a device of the class described, the combinalion of a casing, a septum therein forming a high pressure chamber and a low pressure chamber, said septum provided with an opening between the chambers and an annular valve seat outlining the opening, valvular means including an open ended cylinder having one end slidably guided in the annular valve seat and having a valve forming means for engaging the seat to close the opening, a guide ring in which the other end of the cylinder is guided and the cylinder wall provided between its guided ends wlth a plurality of perforations extending therethrough for placing the interior of the cylinder in communication with the low pressure chamber when the valve forming means is ofi its seat, the opposite ends of said valvular construction presenting the same formation and area to the fluid,

and means for exposing opposite ends of the cylinder to the high pressure chamber in all positions of the valvular means.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing provided with a stem rod guide in its opposite walls and provided with a septum forming a high pressure passage and a low pressure passage therein, said septum provided with an opening concentric with the stem rod guides, a valve seat outlining said opening, a valvular construction including an open ended cylinder slidably guided in the opening and having its opposite open ends equally exposed to the high pressure passage and said cylinder provided wifh means for engaging said seat to close the opening, a pair of axially aligned stem rods slidable in the two stem guides and spiders connecting the inner end of each rod with the adjacent open end of the cylinder and the wall of said cylinder provided with a plurality of perforations placing the interior of the cylinder in communication with the low pressure passage, the opposite ends of said valvular construction presenting the same formation and area to the fluid.

, 6. In a device of the class described, the combination of an annular valve seat, an open ended cylinder free from obstructions in its bore and having one end slidably guided in the seat and provided with valve forming means for engaging the seat, means for directing high pressure fluid simultaneously into opposite ends of the cylinder in all of its positions relative to the seat and the wall of said cylinder provided with a plurality of discharge perforations located between the valve forming means and the said end slidably guided in the seat and said perforations being of Gothic arch form with their pointed ends located slightly spaced from the valve forming means and their wide ends adjacent said slidably guided end, the opposite ends of said valvular construction presenting the same formation and area to the fluid.

'7. In a device of the class described, the combination of an annular valve seat, an open ended cylinder free from obstructions in its bore and having one end slidably guided in the seat and provided with valve forming means for engaging the seat, means for directing high pressure fluid simultaneously into opposite ends of the cylinder in all of its positions relative to the seat and the wall of said cylinder provided with a plurality of discharge perforations located between the valve forming means and the said end slidably guided in the seat,'the opposite ends of said valvular construction presenting the same formation and area to the fluid.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of an annular valve seat, an open ended cylinder free from obstruction in its bore and having one end slidably guided in the seat and provided with valve forming means for engaging the seat and a corresponding opposed area on the low pressure side, means for directing high pressure fluid simultaneously into opposite ends of the cylinder in all of its positions relative to the seat and the wall of said cylinder provided with a plurality of discharge perforations located between the valve forming means and the said end slidably guided in the seat, the upper and lower ends of said piston presenting the same formation and area to the flow of fluid.

MALCOLM TARLTON PHILLIPPS. 

